Hiring in-house vs outsourcing your marketing

For most small businesses, outsourcing marketing wins until you're big enough to keep a skilled in-house person fully busy, usually somewhere past $2 million to $3 million in revenue. Below that, one hire rarely covers every skill you need, while outsourcing gives you a whole team for less than one salary.

At some point every growing business asks whether to hire a marketer or outsource the whole function. It's a genuine fork, and the honest answer changes with your size, budget and how much marketing you actually need done.

Here's a balanced look, including when hiring in-house is clearly the better move.

In-house vs outsourcing at a glance

Hiring in-house: what it is and who it suits

An in-house hire is a marketer on your payroll, dedicated entirely to your business. It suits companies with enough steady marketing work to keep that person busy and enough budget to cover a salary, on-costs such as superannuation, tools and training, often past the $2 million to $3 million revenue mark. The upside is deep focus and someone who lives and breathes your business. The catch is that one person rarely does SEO, Google Ads, design, content and social equally well, so you either accept gaps or hire more people. There's also the technology side: a new hire needs a device, accounts and secure access set up properly, which is easy to forget in the excitement of growing the team.

Note: An employee's true cost sits well above their advertised salary once superannuation, leave, tools and training are added in, so weigh the full figure before you commit.

Outsourcing: what it is and who it suits

Outsourcing means handing marketing to an outside partner who brings a whole team for a set monthly fee. It suits most small businesses, because for less than one salary you get a spread of skills instead of a single person's strengths. The upside is range and speed: you're not recruiting, and someone covers each discipline. The trade-off is that the partner is shared across clients and takes a little longer to learn your business, so accountability and communication matter. Done well, it also joins up with your technology, which a lone hire can't do on their own. Our website guide shows how closely the two connect.

Tip: When you outsource, agree upfront on who reports to you and how often, so a team that is shared across clients still feels accountable to your business.

Which should you choose?

Choose based on whether you can keep a skilled hire fully busy and afford the true cost of one. As a rough guide:

• Outsource if you're under roughly $2 million to $3 million in revenue, need a range of skills, and want to avoid recruiting.
• Hire in-house if you have steady, full-time marketing work, the budget for a real salary plus tools, and want someone fully dedicated.
• Consider both once you're larger: an in-house lead who manages outsourced specialists is a common, effective mix.

Warning: A single in-house hire stretched across every channel often ends up doing none of them well, so match the role to the workload before you advertise it.

Whichever you choose, plan for how the marketing connects to your systems, as covered in the integrated growth guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is it cheaper to outsource marketing or hire in-house?

For most small businesses outsourcing is cheaper, because a monthly fee buys a whole team for less than one salary plus on-costs and tools. In-house becomes competitive once you can keep a skilled hire fully busy.

When should a small business hire its first marketer?

Usually once marketing is steady, full-time work and revenue is past around $2 million to $3 million, so the role stays busy and the salary pays back. Before that, outsourcing tends to give more range for the money.

Can I do both in-house and outsourced marketing?

Yes, and larger businesses often do. An in-house lead who manages outsourced specialists combines focus with range, which works well once there's enough to coordinate.

What's the hidden cost of an in-house marketing hire?

Beyond salary, there's superannuation, tools, training, cover for leave, and the technology setup a new person needs. One hire also rarely covers every marketing skill, so gaps can mean hiring again.

Not sure which way to jump? Take the free business health check or book a call, and we'll give you a straight answer for your situation.